Running to say thank you

SBBN Scott Purvis back to back marathons

An Eyemouth father-of-two is gearing up for back-to-back half marathon events, to raise crucial funds for the Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF).

Scott Purvis, 36, has been bitten with the running bug and has completed a number of running events over the past few years.

He has decided to further challenge himself by taking on the Scottish Half Marathon, a new East Lothian event starting at Meadowmill which circles East Lothian, finishing at Musselburgh Racecourse.

Scott plans to follow this challenge by completing the Great North Run as part of Team Sick Kids the following day.

He decided to raise money for the charity after both of his children, Isla (aged 10) and Aaron (five), were treated at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) in Edinburgh for a condition known as Adams Oliver syndrome where children are born with large skull defects and wounds on the tops of their heads.

Scott said: “Our kids received great treatment in the Neurology Ward at the RHSC in Edinburgh. Isla had balloons placed in each side of her head which stretched the skin over a few months, ready for an operation to cover the top of her head with hair.

“The procedures were traumatic but completely successful with no complications or problems. My son Aaron also had to go through surgery early on this year and will undergo the same operations as his sister did when he is older.

“From innovative equipment, to play facilities and family accommodation, my wife and I are extremely grateful for the varied support the Foundation provides for our family.”

The SKFF recently raised £500,000 to fund a brand new Gamma Camera scanning system to detect life-threatening conditions in young neurology patients. The new equipment features a selection of underwater themed vinyls in and around the camera, designed and installed by the SKFF’s illustrator in residence Cate James to create a fun and calming environment for children using the scanner.